1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to feeders for livestock. Specifically, this invention relates to livestock feeders for use in feeding various types of grains and fibrous feeds to livestock. The invention is easily transported (with or without the feeds therein) and is erected and disassembled by one person with minimal effort in minimal time.
Feeders have long been used in the care of livestock and are especially useful since they provide a method to monitor and regulate the amount of feed supplied and consumed by an animal. Control of the food supply during any period of time can be substantially beneficial to animals, especially horses. Horses have been known to consume great quantities of food in a short time period resulting in a life-threatening condition known as colic.
The types of food commonly consumed by livestock are grains and fibrous feeds. Feeders which have the capability of retaining both grain and fibrous feeds reduce the need for separate grain and fibrous feed feeders. Furthermore, the use of separate feeders for each animal prevents the transmission of illness at common feeding areas.
Feeders also prevent waste, spoilage, and contamination of food. Feed which falls to the ground can become contaminated by contacting animal waste or dirt. If unrestrained, livestock such as horses will compound the danger by scattering the feed across the ground. The ingestion by the animals of ground particles, including dirt and animal waste, can lead to severe illness or death. Thus, it is advantageous to include a means for restraining the feed within the feeder. Means of restraining fibrous feeds include grills or soft meshes through which the livestock can consume hay in limited amounts. Means of restraining grains include containers and pouches.
Feeders are usually permanently mounted in an animal's stall, barn, or corral. However, permanent feeders have several obvious drawbacks. Permanent feeders are difficult to clean, since the feeder must be cleaned where it is mounted. It is also difficult to relocate a permanent feeder when an animal's location is changed, or when additional animals are introduced into the area.
Additionally, some livestock are regularly transported to various locations, including horse shows, rodeos, and livestock shows or sales. These animals must be provided with suitable feeding facilities regardless of location. To quickly dispense feed, these feeding facilities must be rapidly erected. Assembly of the feeder wherever the animal is located must require few steps, have no loose parts that may be lost, and be completed in minimal time.
Collapsible feeders have been developed to provide both grain and fibrous feeds to animals. These feeders typically require cumbersome assembly and disassembly. Additionally, these feeders usually are permanently mounted and collapse when not in use. While trailer-mounted feeders are somewhat portable, such devices are useless if the animal is boarded in a stall or small corral where the trailer-mounted feeder cannot be located.
2. Related Art
Portable feeders are known to the prior art. Illustrative of such devices are U.S. Pat. No. 1,553,834, U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,382, U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,264, U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,222, U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,985, U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,559,and U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,377. None of these devices, however, provide a truly portable, collapsible feeder for grains and fibrous feeds which can be quickly and easily erected in any location.